Pilot light assembly



March 11, 1958 T. H. qLlN 2,826,680

PILOT LIGHT ASSEMBLY Filed March 29, 1956 7 FIG 2! .325 40b/U A 30/62 INVENTOR. Truman HClmc" United States Patent 2,826,680 PILOT LIGHT ASSEMBLY Truman H. Cline, Newark, Ohio, assignor to Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application March 29, 1956, Serial No. 574,697

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-816) My invention relates to lamp mountings and has to do more particularly with an arrangement which is especially adaptable for the mounting of a pilot light in an appliance such as a household cooking range or the like.

My invention contemplates as a major feature the combination of a lamp and a protective housing therefor which are so designed as to be readily separable and joinable by simple manual operation without the need for tools. The parts may be inexpensively fabricated on a mass production basis and are rugged and eilicient.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the appended drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention, wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional-elevational view of a lamp and parts associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a lamp housing and associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. l and showing the lamp housing distorted for attachment or detachment to the lamp socket, and

Fig. 5 is an exploded elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. l.

The numeral represents a lamp, which may be of the filament type, of suitable size and wattage for convenient use as a pilot light in the appliance on which it is to be mounted. This lamp may be of standard design having a pair of prong terminals 12 seatable in a suitable socket.

I provide a special socket, indicated generally by the numeral 15, and formed of usual or any suitable insulating material such as natural or synthetic rubber, etc., and having molded or formed therein suitable female electrodes 16 for receiving the terminals 12 of the lamp 10. Electrical terminals 17 extend in parallel relation from the female electrodes 16, projecting outwardly from the socket member and adapted to be connected to electrical conductors C.

As seen best in Fig. 3, the socket member 15 is of non-circular cross-section for reasons which will presently become apparent. In the particular embodiment shown, the socket member 15 is of generally oblong shape having a pair of opposed long flat sides 18, 18, the two short sides 19, 19, being arcuate and of similar curvature so as to seat snugly within a cylindrical housing member 22. Projecting radially outwardly from the arcuate sides 19, 19 of the socket member 15 are bosses 23, 23 which seat within opposed apertures 25, 25, formed in the lower portion of housing member 22.

The housing member 22 is preferably cup shaped and formed of suitable translucent or transparent flexible material, such as a natural or synthetic resin having the desired properties, for example, nylon or a vinyl resin. By reason of its flexibility the housing can be readily assembled and disassembled from the socket member 15 by applying diametrically opposed digital pressure to the "ice sides thereof, thus distorting the housing from its normal generally cylindrical shape as seen in full lines in Fig. 3 or dotted in Fig. 4, to a generally elliptical shape, as seen dotted in Fig. 3 or in full lines in Fig. 4. In the latter condition the major transverse axis of the housing 22 exceeds the major length of the socket member 15, including the bosses 23, and hence said bosses will be free and clear of the apertures 25. When said digital pressure is released the housing 22 will by reason of its resilience spring back to its normal cylindrical condition as seen in full lines in Fig. 3 or dotted in Fig. 4 and in this condition the bosses 23 will extend through and lockingly engage in the apertures 25, so that the lamp and its as sociated socket member will be firmly but detachably connected to housing 22.

The lamp and housing may be mounted wherever desired and by any suitable means- As stated above, the invention has been especially conceived for mounting a pilot light in a cooking stove or other household appliance and to this end I provide a peripheral flange 30 adjacent one end of the housing 22 whereby the latter may be seated on and extend through an opening in a backguard 32 of the stove and retained by a trimstrip 35 or the like, the latter seating on the shoulder provided by flange 30. The housing 22 has an end portion 38 projecting a slight distance outwardly of trimstrip 35, the latter being apertured to permit passage thereof. A pushnut 37 of standard or other suitable construction may likewise be employed for retaining the housing in mounted relation to the members 32 and 35.

As seen best in Figs. 1 and 5, the housing 22 has a closed end 40 the inside of which may be corrugated as at 42 for emitting a diffused glow from the lamp 10.

Obviously, in lieu of the locking means shown between the socket and housing I may provide opposed cavities in the socket wall and inwardly extending bosses on the housing engaging in said cavities.

It will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple arrangement for a pilot light in association with its mounting and housing means. By reason of the resilient character of the housing 22 and the non-circular character of the socket member 15, when it is desired to replace a burned out lamp or make other adjustments or repairs, it is merely necessary to squeeze the housing by means of light finger pressure on the sides thereof adjacent the long sides of socket 15 to distort it in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4, whereby lugs 23 will be disengaged from slots 25. The socket member 15 may then be removed and may be replaced in locked relation to the housing in a similar manner.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The combination of a cup-shaped lamp housing having a generally tubular portion formed of resiliently dis tortable material, a translucent window in the closed end thereof and a lamp socket detachably mounted in the open end thereof, said socket in one dimension thereof normally extending entirely across said housing and at the extremities of said dimension having locking means detachably engageable with cooperating locking means formed in said housing, said socket in its other dimension being formed to provide a space between its opposed walls and the adjacent walls of said housing, whereby digital compression of said housing adjacent said spaces will serve to disengage the locking means on the socket and housing, respectively.

2. A combination as in claim 1, wherein the open end References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Corbett May 17, 1932 Powell Nov. 16, 1943 Linton Sept. 7, 1948 Cline Nov. 11, 1952 

